Kosovo cities make teacher hiring more transparent

Kosovo cities make teacher hiring more transparent

A lack of transparency has been the most common form of political influence in the education system.

Pristina and Mitrovica municipalities widened the pool of people who participate in teacher hiring. [AFP]

Kosovo municipalities are including parents, student council and civil society representatives on employment selection committees in the hiring process for teaching positions.

The effort under way in the Pristina and Mitrovica municipalities aims to increase transparency in employment in the education sector and select the best candidates for teaching positions.

Officials said the practice respects existing law and is in line with administrative guidelines that were not implemented in the past.

Administrative rules to enable transparent job interviews previously were not followed, if interviews were held at all, but the practice now is radically changed, said Jusuf Thaci, director of the Pristina municipal education department.

"First, interviews now definitely are being held. Another change is that now interviews are no longer held in the municipal directorate of education, but in the respective schools where the candidates compete," Thaci told SETimes.

Thaci also said the municipality selection committee, which conducts job interviews, now includes parents and representatives of civil society groups that deal with education and transparency.

"Only commission members have the right to vote [to employ a candidate] according to the administrative guidance rules, which we must respect. But we have invited the other parties to make the process transparent and make it impossible to have any unprincipled agreements between the committee...